This invention relates to a radiator with heat accumulating properties.
The degree of utilization of electric power being low in the night-time, it will be advantageous for both private and national economy to shift over a major part of the power consumption to the night-time. The marginal cost is low at night and a better utilization of resources in the night-time also implies an additional contribution to the total exploitation of energy. However, there are no electrically heated radiators with optimum heat accumulating properties apt to give off the requisite heat during the requisite period in the daytime.
The object of the present invention therefore is to provide an electrically heated radiator with optimum heat accumulating properties so that the requisite heat can be given off during the requisite number of hours in the daytime These properties are achieved according to the invention in that the radiator presents the characteristic features defined by the appended claims.
The electrically heated radiator comprises a heat insulating container having an inner space which houses one or more heat-accumulation vessels. Also housed within the inner space are one or more electrical heating elements for heating the heat-accumulation vessels. The heat-insulating container is surrounded by a jacket so that an air gap is formed around the heat insulating container. The electrically heated radiator also comprises a regulator which is adapted to open one or more passages between the inner space and the air, and/or between the air gap and the environment.
The regulator comprises a thermostat device which senses the ambient temperature of the radiator, a mechanism controlled by the thermostat device which cooperates with one or more valves adapted to open passages between the inner space and the air gap. The valve also cooperates with one or more dampers adapted to open passages provided in the jacket between the air gap and the surroundings of the radiator. The regulator, during a heating period for heating the heat-accumulation vessels, is adapted to control the valve and the damper to keep the passages between the inner space and the air gap, as well as the passages between the air gap and the surroundings of the radiator, closed.
After the heating period, the regulator opens the valve that maintains the damper in a closed position so that the passages between the air gap and the radiator surroundings are closed. This permits a flow of warm air from the inner space to the air gap and prevents air flow from the air gap to the surroundings. If the ambient temperature continues to decrease, this is sensed by the thermostat and the passages between the inner space and the air gap, as well as the passages between the air gap and the surroundings, are open. This leads air from the inner space and from the air gap into the surroundings.
A valve seat may be provided beneath the valve. The regulator controls movement of the valve in relation to the valve seat to successively open the passages between the inner space of the container and the air gap. The regulator also controls movement of the damper along the outer side of the jacket so as to open a plurality of passages distributed along the jacket between the air gap and the surroundings of the radiator.
The radiator may also comprise a control bar with a toothed segment that cooperates with the gear of a screw mounted into the valve. Thus, the valve is moved with respect to the valve seat when the screw is turned by the control bar. The mechanism further may comprise a dog which cooperates with perforated dampers in order to move the dampers with respect to holes in the jacket after disengagement of the valve from the screw.
One may provide a regulator at both the top and the bottom of the radiator for opening passages provided at both the top and bottom ends of the radiator.
Further, the heat-insulating container may be provided with insulating material, such as mineral wool, disposed between an inner wall and an outer wall of this heat-insulating container.
The heat accumulation vessels housed in the heat-insulating container may be steel tubes arranged in one or more rows in the inner space of the heat-insulating container.
The electric heating element may be comprised of heating coils embedded in silumin which is in contact with the heat accumulation vessels.
Finally, the air gap may contain one or more electric heating elements.